Naloxone Hydrochloride

NALOXONE HYDROCHLORIDE- naloxone hydrochloride inhalant
A-S Medication Solutions

1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE

Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray is indicated for the emergency treatment of known or suspected opioid overdose, as manifested by respiratory and/or central nervous system depression.

Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray is intended for immediate administration as emergency therapy in settings where opioids may be present.

Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray is not a substitute for emergency medical care.

2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION

2.1 Important Administration Instructions

Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray is for intranasal use only.

No additional device assembly is required.

Because treatment of suspected opioid overdose must be performed by someone other than the patient, instruct the prescription recipient to inform those around them about the presence of Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray and the Instructions for Use.

Instruct the patient or caregiver to read the Instructions for Use at the time they receive a prescription for Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray. Emphasize the following instructions to the patient or caregiver:

Administer Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray as quickly as possible because prolonged respiratory depression may result in damage to the central nervous system or death. Since the duration of action of most opioids exceeds that of naloxone hydrochloride and the suspected opioid overdose may occur outside of supervised medical settings, seek immediate emergency medical assistance, keep the patient under continued surveillance until emergency personnel arrive, and administer repeated doses of Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray, as necessary. Always seek emergency medical assistance in the event of a suspected, potentially life-threatening opioid emergency after administration of the first dose of Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray.
Additional doses of Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray may be required until emergency medical assistance becomes available.
Do not attempt to reuse Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray. Each Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray contains a single dose of naloxone and cannot be reused.
Re-administer Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray, using a new nasal spray, every 2 to 3 minutes if the patient does not respond or responds and then relapses into respiratory depression.
Administer Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray in alternate nostrils with each dose.
Administer Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray according to the printed instructions on the device label and the Instructions for Use.
Place the patient in the supine position. Prior to administration, be sure the device nozzle is inserted in either nostril of the patient, and provide support to the back of the neck to allow the head to tilt back. Do not prime or test the device prior to administration.
To administer the dose press firmly on the device plunger.
Remove the device nozzle from the nostril after use.
Turn patient on their side as shown in the Instructions for Use and call for emergency medical assistance immediately after administration of the first dose of Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray.

2.2 Dosing in Adults and Pediatric Patients

Initial Dosing

The recommended initial dose of Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray in adults and pediatric patients is one spray delivered by intranasal administration into one nostril.

Repeat Dosing

Seek emergency medical assistance as soon as possible after administering the first dose of Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray.

The requirement for repeat doses of Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray depends upon the amount, type, and route of administration of the opioid being antagonized.

Administer Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray in alternate nostrils with each dose.

If the patient responds to Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray and relapses back into respiratory depression before emergency assistance arrives, administer an additional dose of Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray using a new Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray and continue surveillance of the patient.

If the desired response is not obtained after 2 or 3 minutes, administer an additional dose of Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray using a new Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray. If there is still no response and additional doses are available, administer additional doses of Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray every 2 to 3 minutes using a new Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray with each dose until emergency medical assistance arrives.

Additional supportive and/or resuscitative measures may be helpful while awaiting emergency medical assistance.

2.3 Dosing Modifications due to Partial Agonists or Mixed Agonist/Antagonists

Reversal of respiratory depression by partial agonists or mixed agonist/antagonists, such as buprenorphine and pentazocine, may be incomplete and require higher doses of naloxone hydrochloride or repeated administration of Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray using a new nasal spray [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2)].

3 DOSAGE FORMS AND STRENGTHS

Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray is supplied as a single-dose intranasal spray containing 4 mg of naloxone hydrochloride in 0.1 mL.

4 CONTRAINDICATIONS

Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray is contraindicated in patients known to be hypersensitive to naloxone hydrochloride or to any of the other ingredients.

5 WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS

5.1 Risk of Recurrent Respiratory and Central Nervous System Depression

The duration of action of most opioids may exceed that of Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray resulting in a return of respiratory and/or central nervous system depression after an initial improvement in symptoms. Therefore, it is necessary to seek emergency medical assistance immediately after administration of the first dose of Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray and to keep the patient under continued surveillance. Administer additional doses of Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray if the patient is not adequately responding or responds and then relapses back into respiratory depression, as necessary [see Dosage and Administration (2.2)]. Additional supportive and/or resuscitative measures may be helpful while awaiting emergency medical assistance.

5.2 Risk of Limited Efficacy with Partial Agonists or Mixed Agonist/Antagonists

Reversal of respiratory depression by partial agonists or mixed agonist/antagonists such as buprenorphine and pentazocine, may be incomplete. Larger or repeat doses of naloxone hydrochloride may be required to antagonize buprenorphine because the latter has a long duration of action due to its slow rate of binding and subsequent slow dissociation from the opioid receptor [see Dosage and Administration (2.3)]. Buprenorphine antagonism is characterized by a gradual onset of the reversal effects and a decreased duration of action of the normally prolonged respiratory depression.

5.3 Precipitation of Severe Opioid Withdrawal

The use of Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray in patients who are opioid-dependent may precipitate opioid withdrawal characterized by the following signs and symptoms: body aches, diarrhea, tachycardia, fever, runny nose, sneezing, piloerection, sweating, yawning, nausea or vomiting, nervousness, restlessness or irritability, shivering or trembling, abdominal cramps, weakness, and increased blood pressure. In neonates, opioid withdrawal may be life-threatening if not recognized and properly treated and may include the following signs and symptoms: convulsions, excessive crying, and hyperactive reflexes. Monitor the patient for the development of the signs and symptoms of opioid withdrawal.

There are limited data to inform if the 2 mg dose of Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray will avoid precipitation of severe opioid withdrawal in the setting of opioid dependence. However, the 2 mg dose may not provide an adequate and timely reversal in persons who may be exposed to an overdose of a potent or very high dose of opioids.

Abrupt postoperative reversal of opioid depression after using naloxone hydrochloride may result in nausea, vomiting, sweating, tremulousness, tachycardia, hypotension, hypertension, seizures, ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation, pulmonary edema, and cardiac arrest. Death, coma, and encephalopathy have been reported as sequelae of these events. These events have primarily occurred in patients who had pre-existing cardiovascular disorders or received other drugs that may have similar adverse cardiovascular effects. Although a direct cause and effect relationship has not been established, after use of naloxone hydrochloride, monitor patients with pre-existing cardiac disease or patients who have received medications with potential adverse cardiovascular effects for hypotension, ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation, and pulmonary edema in an appropriate healthcare setting. It has been suggested that the pathogenesis of pulmonary edema associated with the use of naloxone hydrochloride is similar to neurogenic pulmonary edema, i.e., a centrally mediated massive catecholamine response leading to a dramatic shift of blood volume into the pulmonary vascular bed resulting in increased hydrostatic pressures.

There may be clinical settings, particularly the postpartum period in neonates with known or suspected exposure to maternal opioid use, where it is preferable to avoid the abrupt precipitation of opioid withdrawal symptoms. In these settings, consider use of an alternative, naloxone-containing product that can be titrated to effect and, where applicable, dosed according to weight. [see Use in Specific Populations (8.4)].

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